French American Vintners appoints Rick Bonitati as CEO of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards and as Senior Vice President French American Vintners West Coast Wineries

SANTA ROSA, CA (December 14, 2017) – The French American Vintners board of directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Rick Bonitati as CEO of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Sonoma Valley and Senior Vice President for the Western Operations of French American Vintners effective January 2, 2018.

St. Francis Winery is a premier producer of Sonoma wines. In addition to St. Francis Winery, the Western Operations of French American Vintners includes several highly recognized wineries including Sequoia Grove Winery in Napa, Résonance Vineyards in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, and Domaine Carneros (in joint partnership with the Taittinger Family) in Carneros.  Bonitati’s appointment is a reflection of the company’s aim to further develop its existing success, regrouping its western assets under one leader.

The board also announced that Robert Aldridge is named Vice President of Finance for the Western Operations French American Vintners in addition to his current roles as COO/CFO of St. Francis Winery.

Bonitati comes to St. Francis Winery and French American Vintners most recently from Paul Hobbs Wines where he was Chief Operating Officer. He has over 30 years of experience in the fine wine business including positions with Jackson Family Wines, beginning his career in sales and steadily rising to the position of National Sales Manager of the Artisan and Estates Division. He then gained experience on the production side of the business as General Manager of La Crema and Hartford Family Winery, later advancing to Senior Vice President of Production for California and Oregon. The executive search was conducted by wine industry executive search firm The Cypress Group.

“Rick is an accomplished leader, with a successful track record of leading compelling establishments with experience in winery general management, production, sales and marketing. He brings a great mix of leadership, inspiration, and a passion for wine, key to our family business. We are fortunate to find someone that has such a perfect skill set for this position,” said Richard Reitman, FAV Board member.

About St. Francis Winery & Vineyards:

For more than four decades, St. Francis Winery has hand-crafted fruit forward, luscious and full-bodied wines from mountain and valley vineyards in Sonoma County’s best appellations. St. Francis wines are recognized globally for outstanding quality. As a Certified Sustainable, family-owned winery, St. Francis continues to preserve Sonoma County’s natural resources for future generations. For more information, please visit us at www.stfranciswinery.com

 

About French American Vintners:     

French American Vintners is owned by the Kopf family and comprises a number of prestigious wineries and vineyards in France in addition to its California and Oregon holdings, including Maison Louis Jadot, Maison Jean Loron, Domaine Ferret and Chateau de Jacques.  The Kopf family also owns the importing, sales and marketing company, Kobrand Corporation.

 

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